Good Question: Do the stolen parking meters hold credit card info?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) —We have a follow-up to one of your Good Questions about parking meters in Rochester.

Recently, News10NBC’s Brennan Somers told you about several of them stolen on the east end at Union Street and East Avenue last month. Then, he got more good questions about those missing meters and your private info.

Bob saw the story and reached out. he says: Parking meter story, credit information stored, think about it. Take 10 meters, credit card info from 10 -15 cars a day, plus maybe coins inside. No scrap yard would take them and the thieves know that. Lots of data, why else take them?

Fair point, so Somers followed up with the city. For drivers who parked in these spots before the meters vanished and paid with a credit card–are they at risk?

The city says "meters do not store any data."

Then there’s something else that caught our attention. Just west of Union, a block over, you can take a look down Pitkin Street and see more missing meters.

Did criminals take them too? Somers was told the answer is no. This is a precautionary step. The city went in and took out the Pitkin meters before they could be stolen.

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Watch previous Good Question segments here. If you have a question you’d like answered, email GoodQuestion@whec.com.